Boot or shoe protector.



No. 700,000. Patented Aug. I2, 1002 n. CHRISTENSEN.

BOUT 0B SHOE PROTECTOR.

(Application filed Oct. 18, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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NITED STATES ATENT FFIcE.

ROBERT CHRISTENSEN, OF RAOINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHRIST NELSON, OF RAOINE, WVISCONSIN.

BOOT OR SHOE PROTECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 706,900, dated August 12, 1902. Application filed October 18, 1901. Serial No. 79,186. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT CHRISTENSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Boot or Shoe Protector, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the protection of boots and shoes which are to be subjected to extraordinarily rough Wear, and has for its object the production of a boot and shoe protector designed particularly for the use of miners, quarrymen, well-diggers, stone-masons, railroad hands, &c. which shall be durable and efficient in use and fill all the requirements of such an article,

A further object is to reduce the cost of manufacture of such articles by designing one in which the material employed is standard and easily obtainable and in which the number of operations necessary to produce the finished product is reduced to a minimum.

Other objects will more fully appear as I proceed with the description of my invention.

In attaining my objects above set forth I provide a boot and shoe protector composed, essentially, of two portions-namely, a soleplate formed from a single piece of sheet metal and adapted to extend beneath the shoesole and heel of the weare randavamp which protects the shoe-van: p and holds the soleplate in position.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures, and in Which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved protector applied to a shoe in position for use, and Fig. 2 is aplan view of the soleplate blank before it is formed up for attachment to the vamp portion.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the sole-plate portion of the protector, the construction of which constitutes the main feature of the invention. This sole-plate iscut from a single piece of sheet metal, preferably by punching, and, as shown in Fig. 2, comprises a sole-section a and a heel-section 1), designed to extend together beneath the entire shoe of the wearer. Between the sole and heel sections is left a strip or section 0, which when the blank is formed constitutes the heel-front, the sole-plate being bent on the dotted lines shown.

The sole-section a of the sole plate is provided with a sectional flange a, the sections adjacentthe heel being lettered a", and the heel-section b is provided with a similar flange b, the sections of which adjacent the sole being lettered 12?. The sections a are separated by a cut from the strip 0, and each section of both flanges is provided with a rivet hole or holes for attachment to the protectorvamp D. The cuts or spaces between the sections of the flanges a and b may be varied in Width, as found expedient. The width of the flanges also may be varied, that of the flange I), however, being greater than the Width of the flange a.

In forming the sole-plate from the blank thus described the flanges are bent up at substantially right angles to the sections a and b and the plate itself bent in reverse directions on the dotted lines bounding the section 0, these last bends causing the flange-sections b to overlap the sections a and bringing the respective perforations in said sections into alinement. The rivet or other fastening device, therefore, which is passed through these perforations securely holds the parts in the proper relative position besides securing them to the protector-vamp D.

The sole-plate is made, preferably, fromeither soft or spring sheet metal, such as rolled sheet-steel or other suitable metal, and the vamp portion D of any suitable material, such as leather, &c. The principal bend of the solesection in walking takes place, of course, between the sections of the flange a.

Many variations may be made in the details of the construction of my protector without departing from the spirit of the invention, and these, I wish it to be understood, fall strictly within the scope and purview thereof.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a boot or shoe protector, a sole-plate comprising a sole and a heel portion formed from a single piece of sheet metal, an upturned sectional flange upon each of said portions, the heel-portion flange being Wider than the sole-portion flange, two reverse and substantially right-angular bends in said plate intermediate the sole and heel portions causing the flange-sections upon said sole portion adjacent the heel portion to overlap the contiguous flange-sections of said heel portion, a vamp or body portion shaped to inclose the lower part of the shoe to be protected, and securing means passing through said overlapping liange-sections and vamp, together with means for securing the remaining flange-sections to said vamp, substantially as described.

2. A sole-plate for a boot or shoe protector, comprising a sole and a heel portion formed from a single piece of sheet metal, an upturned sectional flange upon each of said portions, the heel-portion flange being wider than the sole-portion flange, and said plate having two reverse and substantially right-angular bends intermediate the sole and heel portions causing the flange-sections upon the sole portion adjacent the heel portion to overlap the contiguous flange-sections of said heel portion, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT CHRISTENSEN.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM BAUMANN, HERMAN STARK. 

